Improvement in hand-motors for street-cars



Z'She'ets-Sheet 1.

R. STEEL & S. AUSTIN.

HAND-Mower. Fon STREET-CARS. No.170,969. Patented ne.14,1e75.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITMDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. STEEL & S. AUSTIN.

HAND-Mower. F011. STREET-CARS. No. 170,969. Patented Dec.14,v1875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT STEEL AND SAM UEL AUSTIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD THEIR RIGHT TO CHARLES J. MILLER, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-MOTORS FOR STREET-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 170,969, dated December 14, 1875; application filed` November 5, 1875. f

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT STEEL and SAMUEL AUSTIN, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hand-Motors for Street-Cars, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to `the accompanying drawings.

Our` invention mainly consists of a tractionwheel in combination with a swinging frame at the front end yof a car. The frame is arranged to oscillate laterally for giving the wheel an oblique direction in turning curves, in addition to a vertical oscillation for the purpose of freeing the wheel from the road-bed when the car is on a descending grade, so that its'traction shall not impede the descent of the car, and the weight of the wheel and parts in connection may be brought to bear in acceleratin g the movement of the car. The pressure of the wheel upon the road-bed is increased by means of tension-springs"4 combined with the bottom of the car and the swinging frame.

The invention further consists in roughshoeing the traction-wheel by means of steel bars, which are confined in dovetail slots in its periphery.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of our improved motor connected with the front end of a car. Fig. 2, Sheet No. 2, is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom view. Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the racks M.

Like letters of reference in all the figures indicate the same parts.

A represents the front end of the bottom of the car, to which our improvements are attached. B is a traction-wheel, which turns on the shaft O of the swinging frame D. The frame, at its rear end, is hung on the horizontal rod F, in the front end of the swivel H, on which the frame is permitted to oscillate vertically for raising or lowering the wheel B, as hereinafter described. The frame has upright arms a a, which are provided with the shafts I I, on the inner ends of which are pinions J one on each side of the wheel B. The rim of the wheel projects outward from the spokes, and is provided with teeth, into which the teeth of the pinions gear. On the outer ends of the shafts I I are hand-wheels K K, which are turned by men to propel the car. At each side of the Wheel there is a lever, L, hung on thepin d. The front ends of the levers catch under the pins b, which project from the sides ofthe swinging frame D, and when the car is on a descending grade the free end of one or both of thc levers is borne down, so as to elevate the wheel from the road-bed. There are vertical toothed racks M M, into which the levers are engaged to hold the wheel in its elevated position, free' from the road-bed, whereby the weight of the wheel and frame assists in giving momentum to the car while running down the grade, thus dispensing with the power of the men, for the purpose of their resting during that period. When it is necessary to again apply the man-power A the levers are disengaged from the racks M M, and the wheel B descends upon the road-bed. The pressure of the wheel upon the road-bed is in'- creased by means of the wire springs N N, connected at their lower ends to the bottom A of the car, and at their upper ends to the arms a a of the swinging frame D. The swivel H is connected tothe bottom of the car by means of the vertical pin O. P is a foot-lever, which is hung on the horizontal rod Q.` It has on its lower end a pin, f, which enters a corresponding hole in the rear end of the swivel H, to hold the swinging frame D in its parallel position with the car when the latter is passing over a straight track. When the car reaches a curve the lever P is borne down, and its pin thereby disengaged from the swivel H, and the wheel B obliquely inclined toward the center of the curve by pressing or pulling the hand-wheels in that direction, to facilitate the running of the car over the curve. When the car has passed over the curve onto a straight track the traction-wheel is brought into its former parallel position with the car, as shown in the drawings, and the pressure taken off the lever P, allowing it to re-engage with the swivel H to hold the swinging frame securely in position. The spiral spring R, under the free end of the lever, gives certainty to its movement.

The wheel is provided with steel cross-bars S, at equal distances apart, around its periphery, connected by meansk of the dovetail grooves g, to be `usedwhen the road-bed is icy or frozen to prevent the Wheel slipping. In other Weather the steel bars are dispensed with, and the gum tire T is used to prevent the wheel slipping.

We claim as our invention-'- 1. The'oombination of traction-wheel B and pinions J J with the swinging frame D, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth. N

2. The combination of the levers L L with the swinging frame D and racks M M, for raising the wheel B above the road-bed and holding it in its elevated position, substan. tially as set forth. n

3. The combination ofthe swinging frame D, swivel H, lever P, and spring R, whereby to give an oblique position to the traction- Wheel B, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of thesteel bars S with the traction-wheel B, to prevent its slipping on icy road-beds, substantially as set forth.

' ROBERT STEEL.

SAMUEL AUSTIN. Witnesses:

THOMAS J. BEWLEY, STEPHEN -UsTIoIL All.' 

